Product Description

User Reviews

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by
Cesar
a Audio Enthusiast

Date Reviewed: December 11, 2011

Bottom Line:

I bought this receiver when it first came out, it cost just under 600.00 with warranty. I to this day still rock this reciever, I have all of my components running off it including my desktop computer . If JVC ever makes an updated version I will be the first one to buy. Excellent reciever , many people find the controls confusing but I enjoy having the ability to control and tweak the sound to my liking, other recievers would cost well in the thousands with the same capabilities, I use mine every single day from the day I bought it. I will use this receiver untill the day it dies.

I've had this unit for just over 10 years, and it has served me well. This is a 10-year old unit, and I believe it was first release in the fall of 1999. I bought the unit refurbished in either 1999 or 2000 (refurb), for $250, about 2/3rds or less than comparable units of the time. It has DTS and Dolby, but no DTS-ES. With this in mind, i remember Gladiator's release in DTS-ES (6.1) and not being able to make full use of the sound DTS-ES out to 7 channels (6.1). Today we've evolved to 7.1 (DTS NEO) channels plus enhancement features stacking bonus speakers to 9.1 and 11.1 arrays. (BTW the .1 is the subwoofer if you didn't know).

This unit served a 5.1 system OR a bonus 2 channel stereo setup at 120 watts per channel (the 5.1 array served 100 watts per channel). Wattage is tantamount to cleaner sound. While this was an awesome unit, it was not have the highest power on the market. Such factors become clearer when one connects a power hungry center channel (like my homespun variety in a series-parallel 4/1, mid/tweeter configuration) or other larger variety speakers for auxiliary channels (my laterals are 14"x8"x6" acoustic research bookshelf speakers, not the typical cutie-pie Bose cigarette boxes). As such, one can't give it a top rating on power to serve a system. The amplifier readout for power levels go up to 100, but with wrap sound connected (all speakers) I typically have to crank to about 55+ before I'm approaching tolerance limits.

I strained the unit out to a safety set by cranking Lord of the Rings: Return of the King up to 67. You know the part.... Frodo and Sam approach Minus Ithil/Morgul just as Sauron's hordes prepare to march...a large power surge consolidates into a forceful tornado blast... and the movie cues up cacophonous soundtrack music with grumbling/grinding. RX-8000V unit unhappy. Of course, I've been careful not to infer 67 is a decibel rating or anything else... it's the power use measure concordant to my speaker drainage. With this point made... the RX-8000V allows a certain degree of power increase in the center channel, but not much. In my opinion, the center channel is THE most important speaker in a home theater array. Optimally it should provide crisp, accurate, clear voice and moderate mid-range sounds.

I'm going to break with others who have complained about the remote setup. It's an older unit, so this was pretty much industry standard. With many features comes complexity. I do not give this unit a 5 overall due to the power limitations and... now older feature set. If I could rate it any number, I'd give it a 4.3, as it was smoking in it's day, but now lacks HDMI and other DTS features.

I've had this product for 9 plus years and it still rocks. have not failed me once. Still delivery crisp and clean sound. I use it sor the source in my theater room. The room is filled with Boson Acoustics all around the room and it still blows me away. My professional installer is still telling me ..no need to up grade yet.

This is a good machine full of features that you would find in a more expensive machine in the thousand dollar range. The sound quality is top notch and very clean. However the controlls can be confussing and the remote is terrible.